Medieval living: What did medieval peasants use instead of Plastic wrap?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 มิ.ย. 2024
- Jason Kingsley OBE investigates what medieval peasants used instead of plastic wrap. #medieval #waxcloth #kitchen
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One thing not mentioned: beeswax has antibiotic and antifungal properties as well.
Antiseptic properties not antibiotic
I thought that was honey that had those properties ?
@@MarkSmith-to7xi Thanks Mark for correcting my misnomer! My bee buddies would have corrected me also. It "stings" a little less coming from a stranger.
@@Just_Sara Both, as far as I have told.
On that note, I suggest anyone concerned with further antimicrobial properties to infuse it with tea tree oil or thieves oil if so desired. These would make decent bandages in a pinch, I think, too - honey used to be used that way since ancient times moreso than the wax itself. Could also use newspaper as a matrix, idk why not - not as many uses as linens, though.
here in indonesia, we use any kind of large leaves to wrap our food, like banana leaves, lotus leaves or teak leaves into packets and secure the wrap with small sticks. and some dishes are cooked in banana leaves and the leaves gives special fragrance to the food. also leaves are biodegredable too
Cool! Thanks for sharing!
Mantap kang! 👍
We do something similar in central america!!!
We use banana leaves for tamales, and corn husks for sweet corn tamales.
Also we use other kind of leaves for wrapping yucca with a fried paste of pork and tomato sauce.
Same thing in Hawaii with cooking
@@lingpesha ah yes, tamales, i saw how binging with babish cook them. we have some snacks wrapped in corn husks too
A similar waxed fabric was used for water resistant garments before rubber was available. I have a waxed canvas jacket, it can withstand quite a lot of rain. The garments were periodically rewaxed to maintain them.
Here in Maine, in our coastal fishing communities, rain gear still goes by the name "oilskins". And that's what they were, originally - oiled or waxed fabrics.
People sometimes don't seem to realize that people were bright, industrious and clever in every historical age, and there is plenty of clever technology and knowledge that made life better for them, that has since been forgotten.
We used to have "oilcloth" tablecloths in the 1960s, but I'm sure it was really vinyl on cloth.
But I found a really old DIY for oilcloth that said to nail a sheet of canvas to the side of your barn, and paint it. I think probably more than one coat.
So it's interesting to know where the idea came from, oil or oil paint dried on cloth, same as oilskins I guess.
Oilskins are still commonly used, funnily enough, by equestrians. The reason is that they don’t rustle and blow about like plastic wet weather gear and spook the horses. Most riders have either coveted or used a drizabone or similar, raincoat at some time. I’m pretty sure that Jason possesses at least one oilskin coat.
Just yesterday I found out there is such a thing as fabric wax still on the market today. One of the Sorry Girls was using it to make cloth pants look like leather. It was such a lightbulb moment for me - I realized fabric wax must be intended for practical use, not really for fashion. I thought of raincoats I have donated because they didn't shed rain, and wished I had them back! Anyway, you can still get the fabric wax and wax your fabrics if you like.
I have an oilskin dry-as-a-bone over coat it’s still in great condition and it’s now 37 years old I bought the special oil for it when I bought it but as of yet I have not needed to re-oil the coat at all trouble is now I have dropped 4 dress sizes it’s miles too big for me 😹😹😹😹and so it’s been sat on a hanger for the past 5 years 😿😿
Linseed oil and molten beeswax mixed together was painted onto canvas to make waterproof coverings such as tents and tarps, a similar mixture turns ordinary jeans into "tin pants"
This product is marketed in modern days as “beeswrap”.
you can get piece for 30$, sorry but nobody is going to use 30$ piece of cloth that you have to wash after use instead of disposable plastic wrap roll that is good for hundred uses and cost like 2$ ..
Lapuka if nobody bought it, they’d have no business.
Lapuka you can make your own, there’s videos on how to 😀 use cotton, grated bees wax, sheets of wax paper, and an iron. Just sandwich the cloth between the two sheets of wax paper, sprinkle your beeswax not top of cloth, use iron to melt and press into the cloth.
@@LadyJennivieve well obviously, but that wasn't the "point", what I meant was in context for using it instead of plastic wrap
@@TechExpanse I use beeswax wrap. I purchased a set of 3 for about $12, and since I can reuse it indefinitely, it's far more cost effective than plastic wrap in the long run.
In my native language, Hungarian, we still have the word "viaszkosvászon" which is literally "waxed linen". Nowadays it refers to a plastic material that behaves similarly, and is usually used as a waterproof cover for kitchen tables and such.
However, when I was little, my grandparents still had a table cover made of genuine waxed linen as well as some smaller pieces used for sealing containers. It was still around in rural areas in the late 1990s, but not anymore, sadly.
jo napot from California!
The deposits left behind from pot placements and servingware were scraped off, distributed around the table and "buffed" in... It was the (second) sealant on tables that gave the exquisite shine - like new look, that most people associate when thinking of "home" as one distinguishing character a home should have.
We still call plastic tablecloths "vaxduk" - "wax cloth" - in Swedish.
When it comes to smells, Mother Nature in her kindness
(or to make us humans realise how we stink sometimes)
produces (sadly mostly in springtime) the loveliest scents.
Hagberry tree flowers, lilacs, lilies of the valley, hyacinths,
roses (oh, beach roses!), honeysuckle, lavender, peonies,
(and all those - to Europeans - more exotic fragrant plants
like gardenia, tiaré flowers and such things). And honey!
Talk about exotic things. While I was writing this,
my 11 year old showed me a leaf she had photographed
while walking in the allotment area nearby.
A bit of googling revealed that it was the leaf of a tulip tree.
(Wikipedia says it grows very tall and is not suitable for small gardens.
Ha ha ha! Probably not for allotments either.)
When the linen was absolutely worn out and couldn't be used for its intended purpose, it could be cut into strips to hold bandages, wicks for lighting, or for use as fire starters if nothing else. I'm certain very few ended up in middens. Perhaps that's how they fixed the hole in the bucket. :) Every farthing counts, yes?
yes agreed, may things had a range of uses all the way to being either eaten by pigs or rotted into compost.
Mr. Jason Kingsley,
You probably hear this over and over, but I just want to tell you how much I appreciate your channel.
It is marvelous.
Thank you.
- Greg
Thanks for the support, it's appreciated and welcome.
Amen. :-)
FYI: these have really caught on in recent years, but they include another ingredient: pine rosin/resin which is the hardened sap from pine trees. The rosin makes the wrap more pliable *and* increases the tackiness to be more akin to plastic wrap.
I've been using beeswax wraps for about a year now (which I buy off etsy or you can make on a baking sheet in the oven). I absolutely love it. The key is to use the heat from your hands to help the seal.
Me tooooo. Haven't managed to poison myself yet either.
Dee S
Provided you keep up previous hygiene standards, switching to beeswax cloth shouldn’t change anything about your health. After all, it doesn’t actually touch the food.
Dee S I don’t use it on any dish with raw meat- like when I’m thawing meat taken down from the freezer. Then I’ll use a glass dish with a lid. Otherwise, even if it does touch food, cold water, a mild detergent and a gentle sponge can clean it off provided you let it air dry afterwards.
What are they like when the weather is warm? I just wonder how they would survive the summer here in Australia
Shado_wolf probably quite well. I haven’t had any issue with melting and they’d probably seal quite well in warm weather. Once they’re totally clean and dry I simply fold them and put them in a cabinet until the next use.
Here in Northern Germany more and more folks are using beeswax wraps. They make wonderful gifts as well. I wasn't aware of the history behind them, so I thank you for sharing this with us! I love this channel, and use it with some of my student groups in the subjects English, historical influences on everyday modern life and gastronomy.
Odds are, you'd probably wrap twine, string or similar around the throat/mouth of a pot or bottle if you wanted to store it for longer, make a slightly better seal :)
My grandparents and great granparents did exactly this with the lard, mustard and honeypots... I remember. 😄
They used cork and wood toppers too with wax seals.
"What did medieval peasants use instead of Plastic wrap?" I didn't even know that i wanted to know the answer to that question.
You cracked me up!
😂
It would stick better if you only used one layer of it. On the Townsend's 18th century channel they tie covers over jars down with twine. I would think medieval people would do the same.
Bruce Tidwell good point.
@Jon Goat Not odd at all. Ribbon is flat (and woven?). Twine, string, and rope are round or roundish.
Edit: A flat woven material was called tape. This is long before the modern sticky ones. I don't know the precise distinction between ribbon and tape, in this context. I doubt many people do.
@Jon Goat Twine is much coarser than ribbon, and made of rougher materials. These days twine is really popular with folks who like to decorate in a vintage/country style. Ribbon is made from finer materials, and is often softer, and used to decorate clothing and other things. It's soft enough to tie hair with too. It's also used to decorate gifts during Christmas, or for birthdays and weddings.
I think the video maker is well aware of that, most think "some things we assume everybody knows" but evidently not.
@Jon Goat We long for a short explanation of this. :)
Fun fact. Narrow red cloth tape was used to tie up stacks of documents. Thus the phrase "bound up in red tape" for things stuck in bureaucracy.
One of my earliest memories is watching the ladies who worked in my parents' retail bakery in Phoenix, AZ slice the loaves of bread then use wax paper to wrap the loaves then push the entire shebang through a wax melter which sealed the ends of the product where the paper had been both folded and where the paper cuts joined on the bottom of the loaf. This would have been late 50's. Even into the late 60's when every other business used plastic bags, my folks kept going with the wax paper, believing that it made the product stay fresher and smell much better as the customer used up the breads.
Thanks for asking your twitter followers how we pronounce Saran Wrap btw :)
Quite a few years ago, I visited southwestern Ireland (Kerry, Cork, Limerick and Waterford) and was delighted to see bread still being wrapped in waxed paper, just like the loaves I used to buy in Utah in the early 1960s.
You can still get bread in waxed paper here in Scotland. The main brand is Mother's Pride.
I imagine thewax you saw was a petroleum product
@Jon Goat That does not surprise me :(
Here on the east side of Detroit we had a small German bakery that made the best bread in the world. The owner insisted on using wax paper bags for the same reason: it keeps the bread fresher.
The content on this channel is amazing. I always have to remind myself this isn't the BBC, it's a passion project from an historian. Well done, as always... :)
I think he's actually just a game developer who likes history, which is just as cool imo
You Sir, have a talent for bringing history to life. You make even the mundane details of medieval life very exciting to learn about. Absolutely love this channel!!!!!!
Thanks for watching. Ordinary people are what fascinate me most in history.
@@ModernKnight Truly my pleasure. Your passion is contagious, I'm more interested in medieval history than ever before. And it's not just me, my 7 year old nephew loves your show as well- We watch it together. So also thank you for keeping it family friendly!
Jason is just a medieval peasant who went through a time machine and got trapped
He's not a peasant. He's the Thronekeeper of Gondor
He's the Knight, bruh
A medieval peasant who learned how to make computer games. Impressive stuff.
Actually, I believe he is a knight.
He is a Knight that knows how his household should be run.
I haven't used plastic wrap in over two years, and I have been using bee's wax wraps as a substitute. Didn't know that bee's wax wraps have been around for so long.
Me too.
thing is there arent enough bee's to produce all the wax the human species needs to wrap their food.
there arent even enough bee's to produce all the honey we consume . hence why its mostly made of corn syrup nowadays
@@catnium Not so much these days with the corn crop losses.
@@parrotshootist3004 :(
We really need to face the difficult and somehow unpleasant discussion about controlling population growth. We should be less than a half to keep living as we do... so it is really a matter of deciding what we want, I guess...
Catnium I keep bees, and that’s untrue. I make waterproof canvas in the Autumn when the bees are being wintered; I melt my cappings and strain my wax for candles, soap and body products and, in point of fact, I only need eight ounces (one large candle) of unfiltered beeswax and two ounces of pine resin to coat an entire bolt -13 yards - of muslin sheeting fabric. It takes very little.
This is what politicians and environmentalists actually need to bring forward as an alternative to oil based products.
Back to the roots, reintroduce old methods.
Dream on... ironically, as i get older, i find much more appreciation for "the old ways". The problem with that is those ways supported small, local communities being self sustainable and independent. No government would want this, nor big industries. Yet i think the solution to our modern crisis is making small, self sustained local communities with a free exchange of knowledge.
Today we know enough to realize our way of life is doomed. But many people will just close their eyes and scream "let the income flow" while we all suffocate in fumes from mass production. And most of those people hold the power and ability to make laws. Others, who call for moderation and restrains are called "crazy, whacks, idiots" unable to seize the wave of prosperity...
Ever wonder why they don't? Think about it. There are reasons why we use one product over the other. There are pros and cons to every choice of tool for any situation. I'm not going to give you an answer. The goal is to get you to do more than be a mindless automaton who hears the word "green" and immediately thinks "here, take my money! I'm such a good person! Not a bad one!". The goal is for you to think critically and make an informed decision independent of narratives, marketing, and political posturing.
Always waiting for the politicians to tell you what you should do, aren't you? You can buy it or make it right now, but I bet you don't, do you?
What are you going to make your computer out of? Or your sterile medical equipment out of?
Face it, oil products are a necessity in modern life.
Hmm,be careful what you wish for.
Chinese grain and wheat products suffer an export ban BECAUSE they are using pesticides and fertilizer that the W.H.O.banned back in the late 60's.
Now that the UK is NOT part of Europe,preventing illegal imports,such as COUNTERFEIT FOOD,is going to be much harder.
Examine how much trouble the Australians have had with China over the last four decades.
Around these parts of Scotland lots of shops are selling beeswax sheets, many have a nice pattern on them too, still as reusable, recyclable and nice smelling as ever, we've started replacing ours. We still have half a roll of costco cling film from literally years ago, so we're using both while that exists.
Great channel. We’ve used waxed cloth for a time in our house. Warm dishes form a better seal, but rubber bands or twine helps as well.
These things have been brought back as expensive "green alternatives" to cling film.
Blame those European capitalists.
They sucks.
Really. All those organic and degradable stuff should be cheap because it is degradable. Except some organic stuff that really rare to find.
But those capitalistic greedy people see this as a business opportunity to milk people that want to have green lifestyle.
Even salad or vegan dish in the USA n Europe sometimes more expensive than some meat-based junk food, right? Which is weird because vegs should be cheaper than meat.
@@DBT1007 Ummm... You do know that the low prices are the result of huge industrial production in low-income-countries which is not possible with organic production that usually happens on a smaller scale with fair prices? That's why organic and eco-friendly usually is more expensive than the industrial, expolitative stuff. Vegs should definitely be cheaper than meat, but what you get in fast food isn't high quality meat, it's the last remnants of meat, fat and sinew scraped off the carcasses and mashed into "meat" for fast food. This product is far cheaper to produce than growing organic vegetables which aren't pumped with industrial fertilizer and covered in toxic fungicides and insecticides, therefore producing a lower yield. Technically, higher prices for non-ecofriendly products could only be achieved by government heavily taxing products harmful to the environment and consumers. On the free market these products will always be dirty cheap compared to labour intensive, fair-priced, eco-friendly products.
@@DBT1007 Those socialist greedy people want things without paying those who make, market, transport, and sell them.
You can just reuse plastic shopping bags, or, if you need a better seal, glass bowls with fitted lids, or jars, or crocks...there are many options and yes, you should pay for your own choice.
Do you guys really *need* someone else to cut your linen to size and melt some beeswax into it for you? I mean he literally told you how this is made in the video, you don't have to pay for someone else to do the work of melting wax into linen, packaging, and shipping it off for you if you're a cheapskate.
@@sanniepstein4835 Wow! That's the most convoluted thinking I've ever seen from a right wing fanatic! Congratulations! You are the craziest of the crazies!
I don't know about plastic wraps but they sure had something to fix a wobbly table
I'm a food editor and was first drawn to this channel by the videos about medieval food. And then surprised myself by becoming interested in all the content about armor and weapons and warfare This video in particular, however, I think this is one of my favorites. Just wanted to say thank you for sharing all this wonderful, interesting information, and I hope you keep on going.
our pleasure
I love that stuff and use them all the time. When our reenactment group does events the general public is always amazed by it. I refresh mine by laying it on a cookie sheet and hitting it with a heat gun. Works perfectly.
Awesome! I use wraps like this in my own home but with cotton, or I just use a larger plate to cover a smaller one.
This is neat stuff. you always hear about medieval times and how they did stuff, but you never learn about the little things. Cheers for the good content from NZ.
Beeswax wraps are being used now in Australia. I'm sure they're nowhere near replacing plastic wrap yet but they're definitely around. Thank you for putting this up, as though it makes absolute sense, I didn't realise that they were simply old technology revisited. So much of what is being put forward as the new greew way to do things really is.
I think, for a tighter seal, you could just wrap a cord around the lip of a jar, or maybe around the base of the bowl. I do the same thing with rubber bands on a lot of plastic-wrapped stuff.
I assume some stray yarn of some sort would be a rather common object in a medieval home. Perhaps it could also be wax-coated, but that's probably unnecessary.
IMO, this is actually a very important video. If we were truly wise, we could see that some solutions to our future lie in history...
There are actually still people who use this, particularly in the zero/minimal waste community.
Etee makes this, it's nice.
@@bcaye Thanks a million times! Just ordered a set. Let's see how this works...
@@SandraOrtmann1976,I like them.
Evi1M4chine many apps are totally useless. Base features with the stuff you really want hidden behind the price tag. I remember spending hours building excel spreadsheets. Easily customizable and you don’t have to store your info in the cloud.
A girl from Lancaster PA is selling this exact thing now. Beeswrap is a nationally available brand. Thanks for the how to refresh it.
I remember my grandparents would use a twine cord and make a slip knot so the bee's wax wrap wouldn't fly/fall off
Also, from experience, trying holding the wrap a little longer. The warmth from your hands melts the wax slightly and allows it to bond to itself much better. :)
Glad you're getting enough time off from work to entertain us peasants, ser! Fascinating, yet humble content as always.
Owning the company is the easiest way to set your own schedule.
now imagine the pot is still slightly warm... the seal would be perfect
Exactly what I was thinking. Warm the pot/wrap a little to melt the wax - perfect seal.
A whole series of that: environmentally friendly with medieval techniques ❤️. Recently, I've seen some wax linen when visiting a store and I wondered what was that for. Thanks for the information! You convinced me to buy one because of the smell thing (and being green-friendly of course). I have no idea what it smells like but I got the impression it'd be like honey.
This channel is incredible. Not only the content is amazing, but also in the comments there's always someone teaching something relevant as well. ❤️
Great video. My wife has just bought some wax impregnated cotton food wrap. Fantastic product.
Love this channel!
Always fantastic content!
Thankyou so much for leading us through such a fantastic era of history!
Found this channel like 2 weeks ago and it's just fascinating! Super easy to watch, straight to the point and very interesting.
I've just come across to a video from a company that makes such wraps! Im so happy to see the tradition goes on.
That jug is adorably cute. Must be the rounded shape.
Yesss I had a feeling clicking on this video that it was going to be beeswax wrap, which is coming back recently. I have been trying to reduce my waste and have been meaning to get some. I think it’s interesting that in the “zero waste” or “low waste” lifestyle, a lot of methods and products go back to medieval days.
Good info !
When I was making wood salad bowls I would heat up beeswax and soak it in the wood.
It will make it water resistant, food safe and it smells great !
Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍
Iirc this is how you used to make wooden mugs for cold beverages in the past too
You would probably have more success if you soaked the wood in the beeswax. Soaking beeswax in wood can be difficult!
@@brookeggleston9314
No it's not difficult at all!
I've done dozens of bowls with a mix of beeswax and mineral oil.!
Works great!
Milk cartons and paper cups in the 60s had paraffin wax coatings to make them liquid proof, or melted into the paper.
I know people in France that use this technique to preserve jams in barrels and it works fine. However you have to pour about 2.5 of wax over the jam at the top of the jar after it has cooled down. You’re beeswax sheet is then placed over the mouth of the jar (10 litre) and held in place with cordage. It is amazing.
We used wax paper in the 60's for meat, sandwiches, etc...it could be kept and reused...and then cellophane came up.
Big love for this modern knight and the people who make this channel possible! Cariños desde Chile!
I was watching a TED talk on the science of happiness. Wanted to continue watching it on my phone while walking my horse, but the saw that you uploaded a video. ...Dont need the TED talk to know this video will bring me happiness!
brown eyes did your horse enjoy the show too?
@@4philipp for sure! Haha
Your authentic, well-researched programmers are greatly enjoyed & appreciated. I thank you most humbly for a valuable
education. If you are not knighted, you should be.
I love your videos, Jason, this is my favorite channel! I would love to see a video about medieval music and instruments, or even what people did for entertainment in general. Keep up the great work!
Could you do an episode about farmer's clothes and dwellings.
Pieter that would be fabulous
I think he already made a video about the peasants clothing
Aaron Jacob Amador Salazar thank you I’ll have a look 👀
He had an episode about the knight's clothes.
@@francisabernathy1587 Food isn't clothes
by the gods i love this channel, please keep doing this!!
Not only is this method used to store dry goods at home but bulk dry goods for sale and shipping.
Accounts have spice merchants selling powder douce and power forte as well as single spices sold in jars with waxed linen lids.
Since wooden lids such as cork were not in use for pots waxed linen may have been used on things such as mustard as well.
Oooh I just realized that could replace a lot of uses for plastic bags too... like packaging. You could sew up linen bags then soak them in the beeswax, fill it with a product, slap a label on them and sell the items.
When I have something in a bowl and want to keep it fresh I simply put a plate on top of it - works fine. If I have a warm dough that needs to chill I use a normal kitchen towel... I think using beeswax-cloth for everything would have been way too expensive for "normal" people.
Once you put a pace over a glased stoneware container, you can than use a hot poker to melt it to the rim
And if its "life" is over cut it into strips for lighting
I love that you highlighted that they got the job done without creating needless waste and hurting the environment. I love your videos and I appreciate all your hard work and knowledge you put into them!
I actually hate plastic wrap. Very aggravating stuff to use. Sticks to itself great but not to the bowl. This was very fascinating, thank you!
How come this channel doesn't already have millions subs nor more views? Everything it is said in here is truly fascinating!!! Keep it up
Like 2-3 months ago this channel had like 17k subs and views averaged at 1.2k it's amazing how it's grown.
Waxed linen, the modern equivalent probably wax paper.
I guessed it right away! Waxed linen. I'd like to thank the thousands of people, like you, who have slowly filled my brain with so many fascinating ideas and facts.
Best to be a bit choosy about who gets to contribute, but this channel is top of the list. Never fails to inspire!
Waxed cloth is still used to make waterproof, I.e.rain, clothing. Lasts longer than nylon or polyester rain gear. But must be hand sponged, And re-oiled once a year.
Also more expensive.
Learned this when searching for newclothing on Amazon.
Virginia
With what does one reoil the cloth?
To wms 72, the seller also sold Otter Oil for reoiling.
When I had my treadle sewing machine repaired, the leather loop was replaced with something the diameter of a leather shoelace. I digress. My point, the repairman said to rub it with mink oil once a year.
Thanks so much for this video! We've made something similar to this before. Some people add oil and/or tree resin to help make it more flexible and slightly clingy. We haven't used plastic wrap now for about a year or so and haven't missed it!
Your knight series got me into learning about medieval history and now just about all I watch on youtube anymore is history commentaries and biographies, mostly about the medieval and classical era.
I've been sucked into a youtube vortex. I can't stop watching this channel.
So the modern, fashionable, Instagrammable fad of the beeswax wrap is actually medieval!!!
I’ve been making these for years for my house and for family They’re great and SO easy to make. ☺️
Quick recipe?
@@awesomeman8385 Please excuse my jumping in here. There is a free video on the Homesteading Family TH-cam channel demonstrating how someone can make their own beeswax wrap :-)
Of course. ☺️. It’s pretty basic.
1. Get some 100% cotton fabric. It can be plain or patterned.
2. Cut to a size you want/need and preheat the oven to around 150oC.
3. Put some beeswax into a baking tray (there may be some residue left afterward, so preferably use one that you don’t use very often)
4. The beeswax will be easier to melt if it’s in small pellets, but if you only have a few small blocks, you can either break them up or just give them a little longer to melt.
5. Scatter the beeswax onto the baking tray creating a nice layer, but do not fill it.
6. Lay the fabric on top and scatter a few more bits on beeswax on top.
7. Place the baking tray into the oven and leave for approx 10mins before checking on it.
8. Keep an eye on it until the beeswax has all melted and has been absorbed by the fabric.
9. Take out the baking tray and remove the fabric.
10. Leave to cool.
11. Voila. ☺️
I would imagine instead of simply wrapping the linen over a pot you could improve the seal a lot with twine or string going around it!
I have wondered this very thing so many times. You are a man after my own heart sir!
We use these instead of plastic wrap in 95% of the cases we have a need - they usually works perfectly well. FYI, if you use a smaller size and gently crumple it in your hands into a ball shape first, you warm the wax and it conforms even better to the shape of the container, and seals to itself much better, too. When rising bread in a loaf pan I use a larger piece to just drape over the pan. It keeps the dough from drying out, and doesn’t stick to the dough, either (as plastic wrap often does). Sweet!
In conjunction with using these wraps, by using silicone bags instead of ziplock bags we’ve been able painlessly to eliminate most of our daily use of plastics.
We bought our wax wraps in color-coded (by size) sets at a very reasonable price. Kudos to you for making them, and bringing knowledge of them to a wider audience!!
some great tips there, thanks for sharing them here.
I made some over a year ago (with baking sheets and ironing) and I love them! I use them all the time and I gave a few to friends and family too. There is only one downside, and it's the smell actually: if you use it to wrap your sandwich for work, the bun will absorb the smell and you'd have a beeswax smelling sandwich. I wrap it in kitchen paper and then in the beeswax wrap because of it.
This Channel is of such high quality, with intresting topics and a very likable host. Keep up the great work.
I absolutely adore this channel. Thank you for another brilliant post.
I love Modern History TV. There is so much to learn and so many of my own questions are being answered by you. Thank you for taking the time to create this channel and putting it on TH-cam!
When are you getting your Netflix show? I can’t wait.. 😊
He's got a show on the way??
If he goes to Netflix, I'll unsubscribe & boycott the channel.
Netflix is a shady entity attempting to get it's audience "woke".
Politics has no place in entertainment.
That's why I've switched to bitchute for all the programming they offer, and only come to TH-cam to view content from the creators who are lagging behind a little.
Lee Gato Uhh, that seems like an overreaction but to each his own I suppose. I’d still support his content no matter what subscription he ended up on.
Geyote Pilkington No, but I’m hoping he does at some point. I would binge the hell out of that show!
Hopefully never. We would lose an independently wealthy content creator that is not beholden to anyone.
OK that was in historial times, however, presumably before plastic wrap came along in the late 1960's we used waxed paper
I still do whenever possible ! 😊
GlobalCitizen I love wax paper but it doesn’t stick around a bowl. Good for cheese though.
Wax paper works great in a microwave (for most stuff unless the food is very steamy while its heating). I would think the beeswax linen would be great for storage, but not microwaving.
@Evi1M4chine That's a myth driven by the naturalist fallacy, microwaves don't destroy nutrients. They actually preserve nutrients better than most other cooking methods.
The reason why cooking with microwaves tends to go poorly is because heating food very fast and from the inside out is practically the opposite of how our entire cuisine likes to cook things.
The're great for re-heating stuff though.
I remember kids sandwiches wrapped in paper period. The poor kids had newsprint.
Our daughter got us a kit to make these for xmas. Bloody brilliant. Works fantastic.
As a Potter and a history nerd I have to say I love the bowl you used. I wanted to get a better look at that and the pitcher.
Thanks! My mother-in-law and her boyfriend are big apiculturists. I'm going to suggest this to them as a possible item to sell for all the green minding people!
We still have “wax paper” sold here in the USA at most organic and ordinary groceries... I wondered where that got it’s start....Thanks for another informative video 👍👍👍 What did they do to stabilizing an unstable table? I wonder...
I love videos like this. Not big fancy historical moments, bur everyday life things.
My late Aunt Rita used the same stuff for a lot of home made food. She didn't hold a grudge against plastic wrap, she just preferred the waxy stuff. Wax paper - or tally paper - is still used by some organic Mom and Pop shops.
Very interesting. I suppose for a better seal on a jug you could tie with string or twine
wow I actually guessed that right. that has got to be a first. as always Jason, great video brother.
I really love this channel! I watch it almost everyday. Not only do I find midieval times incredibly interesting but the passion that’s put into your videos and the way they are filmed make it both fun and educating to watch! Thanks for the content and all the hard work!
Thanks for your support, its appreciated!
This is my favourite channel! You always have such interesting information!!
I'm gonna make this at home now, this is a great alternative to plastic wrap!
Uhm, no it isn't.. If the linen gets dirty you can't just wash it cause it will ruin the wax coating. So you will have to make another one. Also, it isn't air proof like plastic wrap which pretty much is, which means that your food is more susceptible to airborne viruses, bacteria and germs which can damage your health. There is a reason why we evolved from using 1600s' equipment.
@@R1kSen,you're wrong. I have been using waxed cotton wraps for almost a year. You can wash them with no alcohol soap, no problem. Wax is impermeable to water. And if you fold/pleat it correctly, it is absolutely airtight.
These are all the rage in sustainability circles lol
We just love your videos so much! Thank you for your time, research, and dedication to this history! 🖤
I really enjoy your educational videos on medieval times. Thank you!
Animal Hide, especially goats Hide was used to cover a lot of things.
Tomherbs Animal hide. Use spell check.
Seems like something that would be more common for more well off people to have than the average peasant, given how expensive beeswax was at the time. Hence the reason why poor people used rushlights instead of candles
Sheepdog Wrangler
Less well-off people would definitely reserve beeswax for applications where other fats wouldn’t work, hence why they used tallow-soaked rushlights. Burning up valuable beeswax was a sure sign of wealth.
Such a fantastic channel, so incredibly interesting. Thanks for these videos 🐨
Before plastic wrap we had waxed paper. It really needs to be wrapped very carefully to keep what's inside from drying out. I remember when sandwiches anyone took to work or school so you didn't have to buy lunch there were all wrapped in waxed paper. It didn't work as well as plastic wrap unless you were *very* careful in how you wrapped your food in it, but it was better than nothing by a long shot. It didn't stick to itself the way plastic wrap does, but, looking back, we could have used a string to tie around the sandwiches to hold the waxed paper in place. We were supposed to fold our waxed paper after we took it off our food so Mom could use it again.
There are also alternatives nowadays, like aluminum foil, unlined and lined (plastic or wax) parchment paper, brown craft paper, or reuseable silicone wraps. Although I suppose plastic wrap is more common for most people.
Also honey and beeswax are antiseptic. It's amazing what we could learn from Medieval times - that's if we could wipe the arrogance out of our face and aknowledge that we are not the cleverest version of mankind.
Love watching your videos because you always yey things out for yourself. Thank you for sharing all this with us.
@Johannes Liechtenauer it's always a good thing to learn from the past but it only works when we get ourselves to admit generations before and cultures that have vanished over the centuries were at least as clever as we are.
Unbelievable they built pyramides and kathedrals without computers. Nothing but a length of rope with knots in it and a right angled wooden ruler ( don't know the correct English word for it).
@@sassandsavvy007 I believe it's a carpenter's square.
@@ZRFehr thanks that siunds good to me. I'm always in awe about Medieval master nasons. How precicely they calculated a castle/cathedral without hightech.
@@sassandsavvy007 The ancients had the same brains we do, we merely have more accumulated knowledge than they did by virtue of coming later as well as the invention of technologies that make it easier to accumulate, preserve and distribute knowledge (printing press, computers, etc)
I bought a muslin version of this at a craft fair last december. a crafter was selling packs of different size wraps.
It's nice to see someone really enjoying their craft. Thanks!
A bit of string tied around the jug will hold it better.
Or maybe just use the lid.
Our just use the lid.
I always thought that they just used containers with lids.
Evi1M4chine What about fermentation jars that have a lid that you put water around the top to keep the nasties out?
I made a couple of pieces, by ironing flakes of beeswax onto old scraps of cotton. One of them, I use to cover my canned cat food, when the lids are hard to get off. Keeps it nice and moist.
I watch a lot of these UK historical videos and this is something I have never come across before. Thank you.